In a special interview Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Michael Patrick Leahy spoke to former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain about the recent public relations issue facing Chick-fil-A.
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Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist Dr. Carol Swain to discuss her history with Professor Pamela Karlan who recently testified in the impeachment judiciary hearing this week.
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Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain, now a member of Black Voices for Trump, says she’s found a clever conversation-starter to attract interest in U.S. Republican President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
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Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain warned this week that people on the political left will undoubtedly cause even more civil unrest during the 2020 presidential election — until and unless they face consequences for their behavior.
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Two new polls show black support for U.S. Republican President Donald Trump at or slightly above 34 percent, and that means the president could get 20 percent of the black vote next year, an expert said.
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Members of Black Voices for Trump this week called Democratic Party presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s “Douglass Plan,” misleading and presumptuous.”
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In a special interview, Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined by former Vanderbilt professor and former Nashville mayoral candidate, Dr. Carol Swain to discuss her recent visit with Mayor John Cooper.
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In a specific discussion on Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined by former Vanderbilt and Princeton professor Dr. Carol Swain to talk about her experience at last Friday’s Black Voices for Trump event in Atlanta.
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Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain is one of 35 and counting African-Americans involved with a new initiative to share stories about U.S. Republican President Donald Trump and his accomplishments.
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In a special interview Thursday on the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy welcomed U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn to the show to speak about the current impeachment process and her progress with illegal immigration legislation.
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On Thursday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Michael Patrick Leahy was joined by all-star panelist’s Crom Carmichael and Carol Swain to discuss whether or not Hillary Clinton will jump back in the 2020 Democratic presidential race.
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During a specific discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am –Leahy spoke with in-studio guest and former Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain about public education issues and Obama’s 2014 executive order called restorative justice through a document issued by his Department of Education (Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline). This allowed for more often than naught black students to remain in the classroom despite high levels of discipline problems. The program also added those of disabilities to its initiative.
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In a specific interview Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast live Thursday morning on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – with Leahy out of the studio, host Doug Kellett welcomed former FBI agent and best selling author from Amsterdam, New York, Gary Aldrich to the show.
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On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy talked to in-studio guest Carol Swain in the second hour about her vision for a watchdog organization That Would Oversee Financial Accountability of Nashville’s Metro and City Council.
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On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Leahy welcomed Congressman Scott DesJarlais to the third hour of the show to speak on comprehensive immigration solutions and the recent impeachment inquiry.
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During a discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am –Leahy spoke with in-studio guest and former mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain. Swain talked about her growing up poor in a family of 12 and how she persevered to obtain several degrees after being a ninth-grade dropout. Towards the end of the show, Swain talked about her personal style and how she was able to teach herself the importance of financial responsibility and maintaining good credit. She attributed her success to older people whom she looked up to throughout her formidable years. Leahy: We have in studio with us our good friend Carol Swain. Good morning Carol. Swain: Good morning. It’s great to be here. Leahy: Well, we’re glad that you’re with us, Carol. I’ve said this when you were a guest our election watch party on Thursday night at Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar downtown Nashville. That was kind of fun, wasn’t it? Swain: That was a great experience. Leahy: That was a lot of fun. I’ve used the term to describe you that I’ve only used for…
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Nashville voters will determine the city’s future next Thursday, and The Tennessee Star will provide coverage and analysis, live from Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar on Broadway.
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In her concession speech at about 8:40 p.m., conservative candidate for Mayor of Nashville told her supporters, “The results of this election is not a rejection of the values we believe and the values we brought forth, so I will remain active as your voice.”
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A group of Hermitage neighbors interfered with an attempt by ICE on Monday morning to apprehend an undocumented immigrant man and a 12-year-old boy following a traffic stop, Fox 17 reported. Neighbors locked arms around a van the immigrants hid in while ICE agents tried to serve a civil warrant (detainer). Agents left after a standoff that lasted more than two hours when the immigrants went into a house, with their access secured by the neighbors. Metro Nashville Police Department officers were on scene but did not participate with ICE, the station said. On his official Twitter account, incumbent Mayor David Briley tweeted, “Every Nashville resident and family deserves to feel safe, regardless of immigration status. My statement on yesterday’s events.” His tweet was accompanied with the following statement: It is my job as Mayor to keep all Nashvillians safe. On Monday, ICE agents attempted to detain a Nashville resident. However, the agents did not end up detaining the resident, and no arrests were made. Our police officers do not actively participate in immigration enforcement efforts and only serve as peacekeepers. The officers were at the incident to keep neighbors safe and secure a perimeter. I am keenly aware…
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The Nashville Business Alliance Political Action Committee has reportedly endorsed several candidates in advance of the Aug. 1 election. This, according to The Nashville Business Journal, which reported the PAC has endorsed incumbent Mayor David Briley. “It’s not surprising to see the group endorse Briley. Since taking over the office last year, the mayor has courted the support of the city’s business community, with several leading business voices among his largest campaign contributors,” The Nashville Business Journal reported. “Briley also shepherded legislation earlier this year that overhauled Metro’s procurement process to make doing business with the city easier for minority- and women-owned businesses — a key issue for the political action committee.” The website also reported that Tennessee State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, At-Large Councilman John Cooper, and former Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain are “credible opponents” to Briley. The PAC reportedly advocates for women-and-minority-owned businesses. The PAC also reportedly made other endorsements for the following seats: • Incumbent Jim Shulman for vice mayor. • Berkley Allen, Fabian Bedne, Sharon Hurt, Bob Mendes, and Zulfat Suara for Metro Council At-Large. • Johnathan Hall for Council District 1 • Kyonzte Toombs for Council District 2 • Elise Hudson for Council District 3…
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The top four candidates running for mayor of Nashville said Tuesday that, if elected, they will play a greater role holding the Metro School Board accountable. Some even said they want a greater role selecting the next school superintendent. Candidates debated at Belmont University. Former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain said she plans to hold school board members accountable for how they spend taxpayer money. “The school board already gets $1 billion a year and every election we hear more money for teachers’ pay but somehow that money doesn’t quite reach the teachers, the bus drivers, the cafeteria workers,” Swain said. “I believe we have to make sure there is accountability and transparency and, yes, teachers deserve better pay, and we have to make sure there is no waste and that the money we give to the school board is being spent as it should.” John Ray Clemons, meanwhile, said he will sit down with teachers and ask them what they need to do their jobs. When asked how much involvement the next mayor should have selecting the next superintendent, Cooper said the mayor “should be deeply involved.” “It’s half of our money that goes to schools and the school…
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On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy pondered why the Mayoral race in Nashville was so quiet and questioned why Swain and Cooper weren’t utilizing an attack while Briley was throwing them softballs. Towards the end of the segment, the men discussed how Davidson County is a deep blue county and will unfortunately always be that way. Gill: A lot of folks are taking this whole week off. Leahy: Yeah. Gill: We’re going to take off Thursday and Friday. (Gill laughs) Leahy: You know who’s really taking the week off, is all the challengers to David Briley. He’s throwing them softballs and they’re not hitting back. Gill: Yeah, he’s giving a pay raise to teachers with money that’s not in the till and not giving pay raises to police officers, first responders, and firefighters because he doesn’t think he’ll get their votes anyway. And he figures he can buy the teachers votes. And Briley, giving away pay raises with money we don’t have. Leahy: And the fraternal order of police, of course, endorsed…
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During a discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy explained the recent Tennessee Star/ Triton poll of the upcoming August 1 Mayoral election in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are the raw numbers from the poll: David Briley 27.8 percent Carol Swain 22 percent John Cooper 19.8 percent John Ray Clemmons 10.8 percent Undecided 19.5 percent If no candidate receives above 50 percent of the vote on August 1, a runoff of the top two vote getters will be held. In a potential runoff between Briley and Swain, Briley wins easily, 50 percent to 31 percent. In a potential runoff between Briley and Cooper, Cooper wins 42 percent to 31 percent. Here’s the transcript of the discussion. Gill: And as Michael’s been mentioning we have a new Tennessee Star Triton poll of likely Davidson county voters. Five hundred and forty-five likely Davidson county voters surveyed in the poll. And the poll shows continued reelection problems for Mayor David Briley. We did a poll a couple of months ago that showed David Briley was under water when it…
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In April, a Tennessee Star/Triton poll of likely Davidson County voters indicated that Mayor David Briley was facing headwinds in his bid for reelection. The weather hasn’t improved for Briley as Election Day looms just over a month away. If the August 1 election was held today Briley would lead the pack going into a runoff, pulling support from 27.8% of likely voters compared to 22.0% for Carol Swain, 19.8% for John Cooper, 10.9% for John Ray Clemmons and 19.5% of voters undecided or not sure. The Triton poll was conducted over two days (June 24-25) and surveyed 545 likely voters in Davidson County. The poll has a margin of error of 4.2%. Briley’s poll numbers are down slightly from the April poll data. In that poll of likely Davidson County voters, shortly after Cooper entered the race, Briley had support from 30.6% of the voters. Swain’s numbers remain static, with 22% support now compared to 21.1% support in May. Cooper has nearly doubled his support from 11% to 19.8% over the past two months. Clemmons has also seen his results continue to be flat, with 10.5% in April and 10.9% now. Briley remains plagued by favorability/unfavorability responses that…
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Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain made a stark contrast between herself and the other more liberal candidates who want the job at a forum at Belmont University Tuesday night. Moderators, for instance, asked if she, as mayor, would pass a property tax next year to fund public schools and give Metro workers a raise. Swain said she would not — that’s because revenues are up 23 percent between 2015 and 2019. “The revenues were an estimated $440 million. We need to find out where the money is going. Where the waste is and so, no, I don’t believe we need to raise property taxes. We need to cut spending,” Swain said. “We don’t have a revenue problem in this city. We have a spending problem because we have leaders who can’t say no. They make irresponsible decisions. They spend like drunken sailors.” At-large Council member John Cooper, when asked the same question, said there are other sources of revenue for the city other than property taxes. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, also criticized the notion of any proposed tax increase. “It’s unfortunate we found ourselves in a position where the most fiscally responsible option was a property tax…
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Nashville Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain is taking aim at Metro Council’s proposed 15.8 percent property tax increase. Two council members — Budget Committee Chairwoman Tanaka Vercher and At-Large Councilman Bob Mendes — combined efforts after having had differing plans, Nashville Public Radio said. Mendes is dropping his plan to support Vercher’s plan of raising property taxes by 15.8 percent, increasing the rate to $3.653 per $100 of assessed value. Mayor David Briley told Nashville Public Radio he opposes a tax increase and that he’s alarmed by the council’s plan. Swain said in a press release she also takes issue with that and that if she were elected, she would balance the budget. With the council’s planned tax hike, a home valued at $250,000 would see an increase of about $300, Swain said. Briley could veto the proposal and it would take a two-thirds majority vote to override. “City Council is proposing a property tax increase that raises the cost of living for all Nashvillians without any intention of giving Metro employees the 6 percent raise they need and deserve. Mayor Briley has stated that Nashville’s forecasted revenues are up by about $100 million without property taxes. If the Mayor…
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Nashville mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain kicked off her campaign Sunday to a standing-room-only crowd. She posted on Facebook, “What a tremendous crowd at our Campaign Kickoff! We couldn’t do this without you. We cannot thank you all enough for your support and dedication to our campaign. The Swain Train is growing!” The former Vanderbilt professor posted photos of a standing-room-only crowd at Sunday’s event. “It was rewarding to see so many people come out on a rainy Sunday afternoon to talk about our vision for moving Nashville forward,” Swain said in an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star. “I’ve heard from so many residents who are disappointed with the direction of the city,” she continued, adding: Nashvillians want leadership attuned to providing basic services–from safe streets to good schools to a solution to the traffic mess. Our campaign’s momentum continues to grow as we talk about real solutions and a city government that works for all people, not just the politically connected. Swain’s campaign’s Facebook page is here. Swain held the event at Swett’s Restaurant on Clifton Avenue. Her campaign page says, “Our incredible city has an incredibly broken government led by elected officials who routinely fail us.…
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Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain spoke out on her plans to support the Metro Nashville Police Department in light of today being Peace Officers Memorial Day. “This week is National Police Week,” Swain said. “I would like to thank the brave officers who sacrifice their time and put their lives on the line for us each and every day. And although this is a week of recognizing the courageous men and women who serve our city, their efforts and bravery should be celebrated each and every day of the year.” “Over the past four weeks, I have had the privilege of going on a ride along with North Precinct and have visited the 6:30 am and 2:30 pm Police roll calls across Davidson County. As Nashville’s next mayor, I look forward to ensuring our police department not only has the manpower, the funds and technology needed to effectively serve our community, but that they also feel well respected by our city’s leaders and the community. I speak as a person who holds a degree in criminal justice and understands the needs and challenges of law enforcement. Thank you for all you do!” Swain is a political scientist and a…
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Tennessee is near the bottom of the list when it comes to best states to be a police officer, according to a new ranking. Tennessee is 45 of 51 (including Washington, D.C.) of top states in which to be a policeman, according to a ranking by WalletHub. In the past decade, over 1,500 police officers, including 158 in 2018, died in the line of duty. Tens of thousands more were assaulted and injured. Tennessee was No. 31 for opportunity and competition, 39 for job hazards and protections, and 47 for quality of life, according to WalletHub. Those dimensions were evaluated using 27metrics on a 100-point scale. A 100 is the most favorable condition. Regarding the ranking, Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain said in a statement, “A new independent study out today ranks Tennessee one of the worst states in the country to be a police officer. Nashville residents continue to face serious crime that threatens our personal safety and harms local businesses, yet Mayor Briley’s administration has hung our first responders out to dry, with police and fire departments that are understaffed, overworked, and underpaid. Nashville can do better!” James Smallwood, president of the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police,…
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A new Tennessee Star/Triton poll of 550 likely voters in Davidson County indicates that he will face some stiff headwinds in his bid for reelection in August. His first challenge will be addressing a favorability/unfavorability deficit of 35.5 favorable, 44.6 unfavorable and 20.1 undecided. More specifically, if the August Mayoral race was held today, Briley would lead the way into a runoff with less than a third of the vote, 30.6%, followed by conservative former Vanderbilt Professor Carol Swain at 21.1%, Metro Councilman John Cooper at 11% and State Representative John Ray Clemmons with 10.5%. 26.9% of those surveyed were undecided at this point. Briley won the last Mayoral race a year ago without a runoff when he carried 54.4% of the votes. Swain finished a distant second with 22.9%, slightly more than she recorded in the new Tennessee Star/Triton poll. Four other candidates in that race received about 5% of the vote each. The most recent fundraising reports from the candidates last month showed Briley with a huge 4-1 advantage over both Swain and Clemmons. Cooper had initially passed on a race for Mayor and only announced his plans after the last fundraising reporting deadline. However, he can…
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More than 1,400 Metro Nashville Public Schools teachers and school staff scoffed at receiving a 3 percent pay raise and called out sick Friday, WKRN said. A total of 1,093 teachers and over 400 staff members from at least 18 schools called out. McGavock High School was one of the hardest hit, with 125 of 141 teachers staying home, WKRN said. Metro Nashville Public Schools denied all the absences were due to the strike. Mayor David Briley proposed a 3 percent raise during his State of Metro speech Tuesday, WKRN said. Teachers had demanded a 10 percent increase. The proposed city budget is $2.33 billion, a 4.55 percent increase over the current year, Nashville Public Radio said. Briley is calling for $101.5 million in new spending, with most going to Metro Schools ($28.2 million), salaries ($23.3 million) and debt service ($44.1 million). Mayoral candidate Carol Swain said in a press release she stands with the 1,400-plus teachers. “MNPS’s sickout is another glaring symptom of a broken system,” Swain said. “As Nashville’s next mayor, I would work with teachers, parents, school board members and other stakeholders to identify and creatively address the broken system where teachers and low-wage employees have become afterthoughts.…
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Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain said she raised $118,000 in less than a month. The Swain campaign spent less than 7 percent of the money raised compared to incumbent Mayor David Briley who spent about 62 percent of the funds raised this past quarter, Swain said in a statement. Swain said, “We are pleased with our first quarter fundraising and have no intention of slowing down. Our fundraising momentum proves that Nashville is ready and eager for new leadership, and I am ready to serve. We are proud to have a donor base that is incredibly diverse in every sense of the word. This campaign is one that ALL citizens can rally behind regardless of gender, race, age, or political affiliation. I look forward to utilizing the funds generously donated to our campaign to take our message directly to the voters. Together we can elect a mayor who will address our transit issues, partner with law enforcement to lower crime rates, and work to provide affordable housing options.” The former Vanderbilt University professor announced her candidacy in March during her keynote address at a faculty breakfast club event hosted at Tennessee State University in Nashville, The Tennessee Star reported. Swain…
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After much anticipation and weeks of speculation Nashville real estate mogul and top Democratic Party fundraiser Bill Freeman has decided to opt out of another campaign for Mayor of Nashville. Freeman made the announcement in a release to two of his media properties, the Nashville Scene and Nashville Post, Monday afternoon. Freeman’s 2015 mayoral bid fell just short of him making the runoff setting up a race between David Fox and eventual winner Megan Barry. Freeman spent over $5 million in his unsuccessful campaign, with nearly $4 million from his personal funds. Barry subsequently resigned in scandal, setting up Vice Mayor David Briley to succeed her, first automatically and then by handily winning a special election. One of the candidates that Briley defeated in the special election, conservative former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain, is again considering a race for Mayor. Nashville Democrat State Representative John Ray Clemmons has announced in January that he is running for the position. Bob Freeman is a newly-elected Democrat State Representative in Nashville, and is widely viewed as the political heir to his father’s political operations. He is settling into his new position representing the legislative district previously represented by Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell…
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If Carol Swain decides to run a second time for Nashville mayor then she said she may have a way to boost morale among the city’s police officers. Swain said low morale exists, and, for this, she blames low pay and current Police Chief Steve Anderson. “When it comes to the police problems, one of the things is that police don’t get a say in the selection of the police chief,” Swain told The Tennessee Star this week. “I think it is important that when the next police chief is selected that some representatives of the police department sit on that committee (to choose the chief) and the police officers themselves get an opportunity to decide who will sit on that committee. (They decide) who their representatives will be.” Swain also said she has ideas on how to lower the city’s crime rate. “The people (here) are concerned about rising crime, the fact that first responders are so underfunded and there is corruption as well as the lack of any real creative ideas to address affordable housing and the traffic situation,” Swain said. “What I would like to do is apply old fashioned common sense solutions to some of these…
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Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain might run for mayor of Nashville again. But put heavy emphasis on the word “might.” Swain said it all depends on how much money she raises. Swain announced on her Facebook page Monday she’s only considering a run and nothing is definite. But she has already filed the Appointment of Treasurer, which permits her to start raising money. The race is scheduled for Aug. 1. The filing deadline for the race is May 16. “We must raise substantial money before I feel comfortable officially announcing. If we fail to reach our preliminary fundraising goal, all early donations will be returned,” Swain said on Facebook. “Please note you don’t have to live in metropolitan Nashville to contribute to my campaign. What happens in Nashville doesn’t stay in Nashville. It affects every city and town in the state and ultimately the entire nation.” Swain, of course, ran for mayor last May in a special election to fill out the remaining term of disgraced former mayor Megan Barry. According to Ballotpedia, she lost that election to then-interim Mayor David Briley. Briley got 54 percent of the vote, while Swain got 23 percent. Last time around, Swain told…
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by Carol M. Swain Two senior Democratic Party leaders have separately offered advice that Democratic activists would do well to heed. Outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown and defeated Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) have warned of impending dangers to a political party that seems a bit too cocky and way too secular. Democrats have become the party that pits racial and ethnic groups against each other in the name of equality, and openly disdains Bible-believing Christians. Brown and McCaskill recognize the dangers of pursuing ideological agendas that ignore the issues and concerns of mainstream Americans. Brown, whose state in 2018 had no Republicans elected statewide, recently affirmed his belief in the necessity of a strong two-party system. Democrats need Republicans to keep them honest and on their toes. In a recent NPR interview, Brown postulated that “the weakness of the Republican Party has let the Democratic Party … get further out [on the left] than … the majority of people want.” Wow! This coming from “Governor Moonbeam.” McCaskill’s 2018 defeat was partially linked to her decision to vote against the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She has blamed pro-choice progressives for their refusal to give their…
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MURFREESBORO and NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Governor-Elect Bill Lee joined middle Tennessee grassroots conservatives, his base, at Christmas celebrations of groups with their hubs in Murfreesboro and Nashville. The two groups called “Sentinels,” originally organized around the Heritage Action for America (HAFA) model of activism. Personal relationships with federal legislators are leveraged with tools like calls to Congress, Twitter and letters to the editor, using data and solutions from Heritage Foundation, so that Sentinels can hold their representatives accountable. “Action” being an integral part of the groups’ very existence, Sentinel activities extend deeper into state and local arenas as well. With 2018 being an election year, for one, and a number of other issues arising, it was a particularly busy year for Sentinels. While the Murfreesboro and Nashville Sentinel groups are separate, they are not so much distinct as there is a fair amount of overlap, and the Nashville group could be considered a more recent extension of the more established and longstanding Murfreesboro group. As independent thinkers and activists, it was not a group decision to endorse a particular candidate for governor in the August 2018 Republican primary. Without any obvious exceptions, however, Sentinels were behind Bill Lee and demonstrated…
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by Dr. Carol M. Swain Supreme Court justices need secret service protection now more than ever. The Left would like to remove Justices Kavanaugh and Thomas. Their goal is to gain control of the Court using any means necessary. On October 6, the day of the Senate vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Charlie Savage, writing for The New York Times, discussed liberal strategies for gaining control of the Court. Acknowledging that the Supreme Court would be controlled by a conservative majority for the foreseeable future, Savage reported, “Liberals have already started to attack the legitimacy of the majority bloc and discussed ways to eventually undo its power without waiting for one of its members to retire or die.” One idea is to regain control of the of the government in 2020 and have a liberal president increase the number of Supreme Court justices to create a liberal majority. Another scheme is to find a means to “impeach, remove and replace Justice Kavanaugh,” as well as Justice Thomas. Currently, there is a petition with over 47,000 signatures to impeach Thomas. In the past, opportunities to fill Supreme Court seats depended on the death…
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Carol M. Swain, Ph.D. has launched a new podcast, “Common Sense Conversations with Dr. Carol Swain.” Each episode features discussions with thought leaders from around the country about the issues facing our country and how we can use common sense to solve them.
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By Dr. Carol M. Swain For weeks I have been telling folks the only viable GOP gubernatorial choices for Christian conservatives are Representative Diane Black and business owner Bill Lee. These two candidates are competing for and splitting the votes of Christian conservatives. Because I have friends supporting both candidates, I initially decided not to publicly endorse anyone; however, I believe too much is at stake to not voice my support for the candidate I will support. I will be voting for Representative Diane Black for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. I believe Diane can defeat Karl Dean and become the next governor of Tennessee. Our state would benefit from having the steady hand of a strong conservative at the helm. I am for Diane Black because she is a natural leader who has established herself over many years as a strong champion for conservative values and principles. She has always been a defender of the unborn and an advocate for adoption and healthcare reform. Her issues include human trafficking, protection of our Second Amendment rights, workforce training, protection of small towns, and the restoration of law and order. Diane’s conservative stances have earned her endorsements from the National Rifle Association…
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Newly elected Mayor David Briley announced Tuesday that Metro Nashville Government Chief Operating Officer, Rich Riebeling will be leaving his administration. As part of a reorganization of the Office of Mayor, Briley named Emily Passini as Chief of Staff, the administration’s senior official who will “organize the policy priorities of the office, manage staff and work with department heads to drive the Mayor’s agenda.” The appointment of Passini displaces Riebeling as well as current Chief of Staff Debby Dale Mason. Riebeling recently came under heavy fire for being the focal point of several financial scandals during his 11-year tenure in Metro Nashville Government which spanned three different mayors from gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean, to disgraced Megan Barry to a short stint with David Briley. Much of the attention to Riebeling’s improprieties was drawn by Carol Swain, Briley’s chief rival in the May 24 special mayoral election and The Tennessee Star’s Culture of Corruption series. Mayoral candidate Swain called for then Acting Mayor Briley to fire Riebeling when it became public in early May that Riebeling was involved with $7.4 million of federal relief funds for the 2010 flood being redirected away from victims to design the Ascend Amphitheater. Of that,…
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Nashville property owners may be carrying lighter wallets soon as some members of the council want to raise property tax rates by 50 cents. Councilman Bob Mendes has proposed the tax hike as a way to pay for government employee cost-of-living raises and for schools and make up a budget shortfall, NewsChannel 5 reports. He wants the bill to come forward next week and pass before the Memorial Day weekend. Councilwoman Sharon Hurt and Councilman Bill Pridemore have backed Mendes’ plan, The Tennessean reports. The plan would raise the combined property tax rate in the Urban Services District from $3.155 to $3.655 per $100 of assessed value, a 15.9-percent hike, and the General Services rate by 49 cents from $2.755 to $3.245. A home appraised at $250,000 in the Urban Services District would pay about $319 more per year in property taxes. Mendes’ justification is that last year Metro lowered the rate to a low of $3.15 following a reassessment, NewsChannel 5 said, and added Nashvillians would want to honor the city’s obligations. The council has made budget mistakes that have lead to the problem and will study across-the-board budget cuts next year. The budget must be approved before July 1. Mayor…
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Mayoral candidate Carol Swain came out swinging on Tuesday against Acting Mayor David Briley’s last minute proposal to come up with an extra $38 million shortfall in his proposed 2019 Metro Nashville budget by selling three existing properties currently owned by the Metro Nashville Davidson County Government. Swain’s campaign issued its pointed response in a tweet on Tuesday morning: The Dean, Barry and now Briley administrations have mismanaged the city’s funds in times of plenty. Our reserve fund is almost empty, we have a ballooning balance sheet, & next year’s budget is dependent on property sales that don’t have council approval. #budgetonaprayer 🙏🏻 https://t.co/v8WokfOaB1 — Carol M Swain For Nashville Mayor (@CarolSwain4Nash) May 8, 2018 In an article titled “Mayor Briley is banking on land sales, parking overhaul to make up $38M in budget,” The Tennessean on Tuesday reported on Briley’s proposal, the details of which were apparently finalized over the weekend between his State of the Metro speech on Friday and the communication of the plan to the Metro Council on Monday: Briley last week proposed a “status quo” $2.23 billion operating budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year that would be just a $22 million increase over the current year, meaning…
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Mayoral candidate Carol Swain called on Acting Mayor David Briley to “terminate Metro Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling for misappropration of funds” in a statement released by her campaign on Tuesday. “Today, I am calling for acting Mayor David Briley to terminate Metro COO Rich Riebeling for misappropriation of funds. If he does not fire Riebeling it will show he is truly committed to ‘continuity’ of a system that has rewarded big business and developers at the expense of the citizens of Nashville,” Swain said in the statement. “I would also like to state my unequivocal support for the Fairgrounds. I think it is important and necessary to honor the Rains family’s wishes that the Tennessee State Fair would be held on the land they gave to the city,” she added. “Over the last decade, there has been a concerted effort by members of the Metropolitan government to fundamentally change the character of the Fairgrounds. Men like Rich Riebeling and Larry Atema have misappropriated funds that were earmarked for much needed improvements,” the former Vanderbilt professor continued. “It is time to move on from crony contracts and backroom deals of the Dean, Barry, and now Briley administrations. As Mayor, I…
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Acting Mayor of Nashville David Briley has no comment on election day rival Carol Swain’s call for Metro Nashville Government’s Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling to resign. “Mayor Briley doesn’t have any comment,” a spokesperson for the mayor’s office told The Tennessee Star late Sunday in response to a request for comment on Swain’s call Friday for Riebeling’s resignation, in light of the $7 million federal funding scandal that originated in 2010 and 2011 when Riebeling served as director of finance in former Mayor Karl Dean’s administration. Two polls conducted prior to the May 1 transit referendum put Briley in first place in the May 24 special mayoral election in which Nashville/Davidson County voters will select a mayor to complete the remaining one year and three months in the term of disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned on March 6, the same day she plead guilty to a felony. Both polls showed Swain in a distant second. Briley has stumbled badly in recent weeks, however. His first misstep came when he backed the $9 billion transit plan introduced by Barry before her March resignation. Voters in Nashville/Davidson County soundly rejected that Barry-Briley plan on Tuesday by a 64 percent 36…
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At-large Metro Council Member Erica Gilmore took the gloves off Friday and blasted Acting Mayor David Briley’s Metro Nashville budget proposal for 2019. Gilmore, who is among the top tier of candidates challenging Briley in the May 24 special election in which voters will select a permanent mayor to serve out the one year and three months in the term of disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry, said Briley has proposed a “Promises Made, Promises Broken Budget” to the residents of Nashville/Davidson County. “The budget proposed by Acting Mayor Briley is a Promises Made, Promises Broken Budget. Nashvillians have been told we need ‘continuity’ in this month’s election. But this budget reflects continuity for some, and broken promises for everyone else,” Gilmore said in a statement released by her campaign on Friday. “This morning, Acting Mayor Briley insisted ‘most citizens will not notice any difference at all.’ I could not disagree more,” Gilmore continued. “Our employees nearing retirement will notice,” the At-large Council Member said. “Young workers trying to save to buy their first home will notice,” she added. “Parents trying to put their kids through college will notice,” Gimore noted. “And our Metro Public School students and teachers–who will not…
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Mayoral candidate Carol Swain called for the immediate resignation of Metro Nashville Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling on Friday. Earlier in the day, WSMV broke the story that Metro Nashville Government used $7 million in federal funding received in 2010 and 2011 that was supposed to be dedicated to flood relief to build the Ascend Amphitheater. Riebeling was the finance director for Metro Nashville at the time. “The voters of Davidson County are tired of broken promises, underfunded schools, and cronyism that rewards those at the top. Riebeling has been in Metro government since 2007 and served as finance director under Karl Dean and COO under Megan Barry and David Briley,” the Swain campaign said in a statement released late Friday. “For too long Metro government has been squandering the taxpayer funds of hard working Nashvillians,” Swain said in the statement. “Today’s revelation of the misappropriation of federal HUD flood relief funds is just another example of the corruption that is plaguing City Hall and the rest of Metropolitan government. As finance director of the city, Reibeling was either complicit in this act or ignorant of it. He can delegate authority, but he cannot delegate responsibility,” she continued. “Riebeling has…
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Early voting in Nashville’s special mayoral election began today, just three days after residents of Nashville/Davidson County went to the polls and defeated the $9 billion Nashville transit plan, 64 percent to 36 percent. Taxpayers will spend an extra $2 million on the May 24 special mayoral election, thanks to the ill advised and legally unsound decision made by the Davidson County Election Commission to schedule the election for a later date, rather than follow the law, as The Tennessee Supreme Court later told them to do in a landmark legal decision last month. The legal and common sense decision that the Davidson County Election Commission rejected would have scheduled both the transit plan referendum and the special mayoral election for the same day, May 1. Residents of Nashville/Davidson County can early vote beginning today, and continuing until Saturday, May 19, as News Channel 5 reported: Right now, you can only vote at the Howard Office Building in downtown Nashville. Hours vary but it opens at 8 a.m. every weekday. All early polling locations will open next Friday, May 11. WSMV offered this guide to early voting: The following locations will be open for voting starting Friday, May 11: Belle…
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Acting Mayor of Nashville David Briley’s aura of inevitability came to a sudden and devastating end Tuesday night when voters soundly rejected the $9 billion transit plan he championed to the bitter end by a 64 percent to 36 percent margin. The man who less than two months ago had been praised by the Nashville Business Council as the only possible person who could provide “continuity” to the city after the resignation of disgraced former Mayor Barry on March 6, found himself reduced to blaming the deplorable voters of Nashville for their lack of wisdom in rejecting the boondoggle his predecessor introduced and he embraced whole heartedly. “We all can agree that we have to do something about traffic and transportation, but voters didn’t get behind this plan,” Briley said after it became clear that his cherished plan of “continuity” was going down in flames, adding: My responsibility as Mayor is to get back to the drawing board and find the common ground to develop consensus on a new way forward. Our transportation problems are not going away; in fact, we know they’re only going to get more challenging as we continue to grow. I’ll get back to work…
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Nashville Transit Plan opponent and mayoral candidate Carol Swain emerged the big winner Monday night as voters rejected the $9 billion plan she called “the Barry-Briley boondoggle.” Swain addressed an enthusiastic crowd of more than 100 supporters who attended the Victory Celebration for opponents of the plan hosted by her campaign and held at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville Tuesday night. Opponents of the transit plan swept to victory in the final vote count by a stunning 64 percent to 36 percent margin in record voter turnout in Nashville/Davidson County. The results were remarkably close to The Tennessee Star Poll released on April 16, which showed opposition to the plan at 62 percent, with support only at 27 percent. “Tonight is a great victory for all of Nashville,” the former Vanderbilt professor told the crowd after the pro-transit group conceded at 8:20 pm. “A $9 billion transit boondoogle that benefited developers, construction companies, and engineering firms, and left the little guy out to dry has been defeated,” she continued. “As mayor, I will work to implement immediate and long term solutions to regional traffic congestion,” Swain added. “There is a short sprint to May 24, and I’m…
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